Farewell to Mars

June 1, 2014

Founder and pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, MO, Zahnd was a typical conservative evangelical cheering on the first Gulf War. Here, he shares his personal odyssey away from blind patriotism and toward the gospel of Jesus. Offering a brief analysis of the Bible and the modern evangelical worldview, the author contends that Jesus Christ is not simply a "prop" in our world of war or a "coming king," but is a radical Prince of Peace ruling over a new and present kingdom. He states: "Nothing unites a nation like war. But what's so tragic is when Christian leaders pretend that a rally around the war god is compatible with worshipping the God revealed in Jesus Christ." He then discusses the practical implications of devotion to the gospel of peace and exposes the danger of trying to make Christianity conform to any political agenda. VERDICT Readers of John Howard Yoder and those interested in Christian views on current politics will be challenged by this thought-provoking work that is filled with personal anecdotes. Highly recommended for public libraries.--Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 12, 2014
“War is a repudiation of the Lordship of Christ,” writes Zahnd (Beauty Will Save the World). “War is a thing of the past.” Leaning heavily into the work of critical theorist René Girard, Zahnd argues that peace—which he defines as a courageous, faithful belief that Jesus has defeated the need for humans to kill one another—is the heart of the Christian message. Zahnd outlines his transformation from an evangelical pastor who preached retribution in the aftermath of 9/11 to one willing to lay down his life for an enemy. His book shines in its readings of the Bible as well as in its sharp distinction between Christianity and nationalism, and in its passionate conviction that the Kingdom of God is not to be realized wholly in the afterlife but here, today, on earth. Written in simple, unequivocal language for a Christian audience, this work mounts a persuasive challenge to any Christian theology that supports military might.